18 May 2014

Just
as Bilbo was “chosen and selected” (The
Hobbit 26) for his tasks, so are Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. The time at
Crickhollow proves Aristotle’s words that friendship is “most indispensable for
life.” The revelation of the conspiracy formed to ensure that Frodo does not
leave on his own stuns the Ring-bearer. Merry tells his cousin of the fear that
he, Pippin, and Sam have of what is ahead but also of their determination to
face the peril with Frodo because of their friendship. Ralph C. Wood notes that
if Sauron had heard and understood the power wrapped up in these words,
“Barad-dûr would have been shaken to its foundations” (Gospel According to Tolkien 127).

Sauron
would also find incomprehensible the innocent excitement of his mighty enemies,
as the young hobbits dance around Frodo in celebration that their company is
indeed welcome. Their fear has not left them, but the joy of being with the one
they love overwhelms it. Implacable malice such as Sauron’s cannot understand
such happiness; unwavering hate cannot fathom unconditional, sacrificial love;
selfishness cannot penetrate the wisdom of selflessness. Love allows us to do
amazing, even otherwise impossible, things, and these hobbits excel at love.
“You are worth what your heart is worth,” Pope St. John Paul II said. This
makes Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin priceless. As the Quest unfolds, the
hobbits prove that “a friend is a friend at all times, it is for adversity that
a brother is born” (Prov. 17:17).

12 May 2014

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the publication of The Lord of the Rings – more specifically, The Fellowship of the Ring – the Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Centre for English, Translation and Anglo-Portuguese Studies (CETAPS), and the Instituto de Literatura Comparada Margarida Losa (ILCML) have organised a Tolkien conference for November 6-7 of this year.

They are seeking papers, twenty minutes in length, which fit under the subject of "Worlds of Heroes". Suggested topics include:

J. R. R. Tolkien’s works and their adaptations: intermedial dynamics

Theorizing fantasy

The hero’s role in fantasy and culture

Travel literature and the construction of identity

Ancient-classical origins of epic narratives

The influence of epic fantasy on other genres

Epic fantasy and mythology

Epic fantasy and national identities

Epic fantasy and social concerns

Allegory vs reality: is this an issue or a false issue?

Interested parties should submit their proposals totolkien@letras.up.pt by June 30. For more information on what is required, along with some other deadlines, please visit the Call for Papers link.